I completely agree with melanieb on this one. I think beyond the initial explanation of the crash, I didn't necessarily make the connection between the characters and the event. The book could have been character-driven without that reference. I was expecting more "historical" in my fiction.
Coleman was a self-centered jerk before the crash, so much so that he was about to be cut off financially. After the crash, he was a self-centered jerk, who no longer needed to worry about money. Anastasia would have found another scam to get what she wanted. If the crash hadn't happened, Robert would most likely still have been involved with Rita. He easily could have had a guilty breakdown over something entirely different. So, I don't think the history had anything to do with my understanding. I felt like that aspect was missing from most of the novel.